New to me '04 Fierte'

[lovetoride]

I am the very excited owner of a "new" to me '04 Fierte. I purchased it on eBay and it is as good as new. The original owner decided he wanted to spend more time on his mountain bike. His loss is my gain!

I have ridden for years, but never owned a nice bike. I absolutely LOVE this bike. It rides like a dream. I live near Sacramento and do not see a local dealer. The bike frame is the right size, but I think it would be wise to get the bike fitted to me. Should I have this done by a Fierte' shop, or can I take it into any shop and expect to get good advise? Thanks for your advise!

[dirtdigger88]

Any shop can fit you or with a bit of knowlege gained here and other spots on the web you can fit yourself pretty darn will. Lets start with the saddle height- whats your inseam?

Jason

[lovetoride]

My inseam is 32", and the frame is 54cm. It is so comfortable to ride but I imagine it could even be better with a few adjustments. I have ridden it twice, and just got it 4 days ago. I am pulling my 11 month old in a trailer and it's a breeze. What a treat! Thanks for your help. I thought maybe the shop would have to be familiar with Serrota to do it right. But I'd love to save the $$ so I appreciate your time.

[dirtdigger88]

Keep in mind I am only doing this off of laws of averages and there will be 100 other opinions on how to do this. I this will do is double check that your base points are correct. Other members feel free to join in as well- I am no expert- I only play one in my mind. Besides it is cold, and I have my 9 month old today while Mrs. Dirt works :)

Ok- 32.5" inseam using the LeMond method of mutiplying that by .883 gives you a number of 28.6975. So you are looking to have a distance from you BB (use the bolt that hold the crank arm on) the the mid point of the saddle. Use the part you sit on, not the far nose or rear lip. While doing this position your saddle on the seat post so they connect at the middle of the rails.

Find a plum bob too- you will need that next.

Jason

[lovetoride]

ok, this will take me a few minutes...... i remeasured and my inseam is actually closer to 32".

[dirtdigger88]

Hey man,

Just use the PM feature that way we dont clog up Ben band waves

Jason

[spiderman]

than watching trading spaces...
...interesting enough to watch the progress...
...including video would really
bump up viewer ratings!!

[dirtdigger88]

If I sell the video for 19.99 pluss s/h - I would only need . . . how many to buy the Kirk of my dreams? :confused: Ben, could I advertise on your site? :p Will BBDave buy copies to send out a Christmas Gifts? :D I need to invest in a Burley trailer so that Dad days don't have to mean no riding days.

Jason

[dirtdigger88]

By the way Spidey- my kid is a big fan of yours- DO you make personal appearences for birthdays? :p

Jason

[lovetoride]

My husband just informed me about what a "plum bob" is, and we're now working on the video...stay tuned....

[lovetoride]

by the way, we LOVE our Chariot Cougar. Check out their site, it's Canadian, but you can buy it online, or at REI. Here's some links. It's cool because it converts from a jogger, to a stroller, to the bike, and is also used for backpacking and skiing. You just buy the parts you want and build upon the main carriage. We also had a '91 Burley, and like this better because it is very comfortable for the baby, it connects easily, and the Burley scratched the frame, where this one does not come in contact at all. They are both built very well, and we like that it's just one thing in the garage...not 3.

http://www.chariotcarriers.com/html_english/home.htm

http://www.livingincomfort.com/ISBKSSChariotCarriers.html

Sorry i got off topic, back to the video

[lovetoride]

Ok, the seat is adjusted, we were off by only 1/4" too high. Next step? the plum bob is ready....

[dirtdigger88]

Sit in the saddle in a comfortable spot- where you would normally ride. Buy the way make sure your saddle is level (see why fitters charge $100.00). Get your cranks at 3 and 9 'oclock and drop the plum from your knee ( the lower boney bump that you feel when you bend your knee. The plumb should cross the spindle of your pedal either right on or 1 cm back. I am taking a lot of assumptions here- like for example that you are using some kind of clipless pedal and that the cleats are set up propery- but lets keep going. You may run out of saddle rail forward or back- this depends on the seat post you are using- first lets see if you can get between 0 and 1 cm back from the spindle and still be comportable.

Jason

[lovetoride]

ok, i think we are measuring the right bone, it's hard to do without a picture. but it is ~1cm back, and i do have clipless pedals, and i'm wearing my shoes too.

[dirtdigger88]

do a google search for bike fit and go to the colorado cyclist site, they have good pictures to go by. Your next step is stem reach and angle I think this is the hardest one to do with out seeing someone. I think a good rule of thumb to go by is to start with the bars maybe 1.5- 2 inches below your seat. A carpenters square is nice here. Reach- you want a comfortable bend in your arms- not too much weight on the hands. Read colorado cyclist and a few more that come up- they have good examples in photos of what you are shooting for in reach. You can only adjust your stem up and down- you will need to buy a new stem if the angle and length is wrong.

Jason

[dirtdigger88]

I changed my opinion. I still know I could do a fit in person but I can't do one via the net. I just got back from a two hour solo ride- man I love the fall. Lovetoride, don't sell yourself short- go get a fit. You are on the right track. Serottas are far too nice of rides to not complete the deal with a dialed in fit. Enjoy and welcome to the club

Jason

[lovetoride]

Thank you very much for your help, you are very kind. I think we are very close though...i will let you know if i end up getting a fit and how close we came. Perhaps this is your calling...take care, and i'll look forward to talking with you more in the future.